Badge, Century of Progress, red and silver vendor badge. Numbered 15427. Has red print and background, with the 1933 World's Fair symbol (a whirling planet) and the words: A CENTURY OF PROGRESS/1933 INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION/CHICAGO 1933.

This badge was one of many worn by vendors to gain entry to the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair. Planned during the prosperous 1920s to celebrate 100 years of progress since Chicago founding, the fair opened during the Great Depression. Funding came from private sources instead of government subsidies, and the Art Deco design had a dual purpose--to convey the central theme of scientific progress and to save money. The final product was a "Rainbow City" stretching across three miles of Chicago's lakefront. During the fair's two-year run, visitors saw displays by America's major corporations, witnessed the brilliance of the fair from above on the Sky Ride, and enjoyed the Midway's rides and attractions. The fair brought $200 million into Chicago and provided a welcome respite from the grim realities of Great Depression.